Machine for canceling letters.



No. 896,284. PATENTED AUG. 18; 1908. s. J. EVANS, DEGD.

c. E. EVANS, ADMINISTRATRIX. MACHINE FOR .UANOELING LETTERS;

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21, 1906.

. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

- Imam Jam 2 I W? No. 896,281; PMENTED AUG.'18, 190s.

S.-- .I.*EVANS, DEGD.

0. B. EVANS, ADMINISITRATRLA MACHINE FOR OANGELING LETTERS.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2. v

. wImV/IVA u 1 a x APPLICATION IILED FEB. 21

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

PATENTED AUG. 18, 190.8.

s. J. EVANS, DEGD.

c. n. Buns, ADMINISTKATRIX. MAGHINE FOR CANGELING LETTERS; APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21, 1906.

Burrs ira SAMUEL J. EVANS, OF ROAQNOKE, VIRGINIA; CELIA E. EVrlNS, ADMINISTRAIRIX OFSAID SAMUEL J. EVANS, DEoE.-'-.sED, As'sIGNoR OFQIONE-HALF TO CHARLES FRANCIS BYRNE,

OF RQANOKE, VIRGINIA.

MACHINE FOB CANCELING LETTERS,

Application filed February 21, 1906. Serial No. 302,310.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL J. EVANS, a citizen of the United States, residing at B0- anoke, Virginia, have invented certain new i and usefullmprovements in Machines for Canceling Letters, of which the following is f a specification.

, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and out in the claims. p v In the drawing, Figure 1 is a plan View of the machine with the parts in normal posi- -tion' ready to receive the letters to be canceled. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the marking. and impression means and the device asso; ciated therewith for registering the letter and timing the operation of the printing or marking means, showing at as a letter in the act'of being canceled, and illustrating also devices associated with the marking and impression means for insuring the proper control of the letters. Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of parts shown in Fig. 2 in a different position showing how the letter is held when it has arrived at an improper time until the marking means has arrived in proper posi-v tion to act thereon. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of the friction feed wheel for the letters, some parts being shown in elevation. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the impression roll or platen showing also the vibrator and means for 'operating the same and the supplemental guard and its operating means.

- Fig. 6 is a sectional view. through the bedof shown in side elevation.

the machine from front to rear substantially on the line 66 of Fig. 1, with parts however Fig. 7' is a rear elevation of the machine. Fig. 8 is a detail view of the means for setting the stacker.

Fig. 9 is a detail front View of the controlling gate for the letters and parts [associated therewith. l The letters to be canceled and post marked are placed on edge upon a table 1, with their forward ends resting against the guard or guide wall 2, extending'vertically in rela- 'tion to the table surface. They are pressed against the fee'dwheel 3, which is in constant machines for canparticularly pointed Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 18, 1908.

rotation and/thereby they are forced one by one into engagement with :a friction feed wheel 4, against which it is guided and pressed by a spring finger 5 curved as shown 1n F ig. 1 to provide. a flaring inlet for the letter. This spring pressure finger is pivoted .at 6 to a lug'on the guard wall 2, and it is pressed by a spring 7 attached thereto and tea bracket 8 so that its rounded or curved end is pressed constantly towards the friction feed wheel 4. A set screw 8* acts as a The stop for the spring pressure finger.

friction feed wheel is of s ecial construction and is' shown in detail in ig. 4, and it consists of rubber rings 9 held to the hub or core of the wheel between the fiangeslO and shaft 13 andborne upon friction'ally by the plates or disks 12 keyed to the said rotating shaft and the upper late 12 being borne upon by a s ring 13 field within-a cap 14 and adjusted as to tension by the nut '15 threaded on the end of the rotating shaft. The frictional contact between the and-the heads of the feed wheel 1s so ad'- justed by means of the spring and nut that when the letters being fed into the machine are momentarily arrested aswill be hereinplates 12 after described the feed means consisting of the rubber rings 9 will remain at rest and will not tear or buckle the letter, whereas .when the letter is free to advance through the machine the frictional contactbetween the parts of the friction wheel will be suflicient to move the letter forward. 7

As will be noticed from Figs. 4 'and 7 the rubber feeding surfaces or rings 9 are sepa rated from each other and into the space 16 thus rovided the spring finger 5 extends slight y .when in normal position Figs/'1 anl 3.

O posite the feed wheel a letter retarding bloc 17 is-arranged, this consisting of rubber pieces 19 fixed in sockets 19 of the block 17,-

one ofsaid rubber pieces being provided for each of the feeding rings 9 of the friction feed Wheel. I

The spring finger 5 when pressed away act onsaid letters and cause them to befrom the feed wheel will recede into the space pressed against the feed surface 9, and they will pass freely forward over the smooth rounded surface of the spring finger, but a second letter on presenting itself to the spring finger and the feed wheel whilethe first is still there, will, by its added thickness separated and fed forward one by' one press the spring finger back sofar as-to cause it to recede into-the .space 20 of the retarding or separating block and thus exposing the rubber retarders 19to engage the second letter-and hold it until after the first letter has been fed forward, whenthe spring finger 'will immediately ress the second letter against the feed W eel 4 and awayfrom contact with the retarding blocks or rubbers 19. In this way the letters are This retarder or separator 17 is supported upon a standard or arm 17." assing up through an opening 17 in the ed of the machine from a lever'1'7 pivoted below the bed at 17, Fig. 1, a spring 17" acting on said lever and pressing the se arator con stantly towards the feed whee, itsmove ment in that direction however being limited by the stop consisting of a screw rod 17 journaled beneath the bed and operated by This yielding quality of the separator or retarder and also of the s ring finger 5 accommodates letters of ifferentthickn'ess.-

'to the letters.

From the feed wheel 4 the letters ass between the feed rollers 21, 22, -of whic 22 is a driven Wheel while 21 is merely a presser Wheel, and from these the letter is fed forward to the impression means which com prises the rotary die or head 23 and animpressionroller or laten 24. The rotary die or head carries t e marking dies 25 for applying the post marks and it also carries t e ribs 26 for a plying the canceling marks ihk is a lied to the dies and canceling ribs by an in ng roller 27 having a textile covered peri hery 28 saturated with ink which is app ied to. the dies and ribs each time they-come around thereto.

The impression roller or platen is moved towards the die roller or head when a letter has arrived in proper position between them so as toregister properly with the canceling ribs and the. die on the said roller. For securing this registration'of the letter in relation to the means to make the impression, I employ a registering device or stop which tween the die head and impression roller and q the other arm 33 of this lever extends laterally from the housing or bracket 31 to be at times in the path of the lug or shoulder 34 on the vibrator or controller 35 arranged independently and to one sideof the impression platen or roller. This vibrator oscillates so as to carry the shoulder 34 fromthe position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 3 and back again. ,28 is held normally out ofthe path of movement'of the vibrator by a, spring 35 attached at one end to the locking-key and at the other to a bracket 36 on the housing. When however, a letter is fed between the printing The locking-key or timing stop and canceling members as. at at Fig. 2 it 0011- tacts withthe arm 32 of the letter stop or timer and swings the same on its pivot from the position shown inFig. 1 so that its arm 33 will move out into the ath of the shoulder 34 on the vibrator and this arm will be moved forward. with the forward movement of the vibrator which will result in the im- ,pression roller being moved forward to force the envelo or letter into contact with. the canceling ribs on the die or rotary head and in proper register with said ribs.- This result is accomplished as follows: The impression roller has its shaft j ournaled in a box 37 slidable in an opening 38 in the bed. The lower end of the impression shaft is pivoted to the frame at 39 and it is driven through a gear 96 fixed to said shaft. The upper end of the shaftextends into an opening in bar 41 which is arranged within a barrel or plunger 42 slidably mounted in the housing or box 31 before mentioned. This barrel has its-forward end flattened and carries a pin 43 extending upwardly in front of the arm 33 of the letter registering stop and locking-key. Now when a letter has arrived at the registering-stop the said stop by pressure of the letter will be turned on its pivot as above referred to so that its arm 33 will be struck by the said shoulder 34 and said arm will be moved-forward and in this movement it will press upon the pin 43 and through it the barrel 42 and thebar 41 carried thereby will be moved to cause the impression roller to advance and press the letter upon the marking devices on the die or rotary head 23, which letter has, by contacting with the arm 32, been properly registered in lace. As above stated the registering stop or the letter has swin ing movement only, its pivot 29 being a fixe' point on the housing or box 31 and in the swinging movement. above described the registermg sto for the letter acts as a locking-key to 100 the impression roller with its actuating mechanism, and 'further, as it continues toswing under pressure -due to the advancing movement of the shoulder 34 in the arrow direction Fig. 3 the end the impression roller and the marking die or roller, it being post-marked and canceledduring its passage between said parts.

The full throw of the platen or impressionroller towards the die or marking roller or head is such as to mark the letters of minimum thinness and in order to mark thicker letters I have provided means whereby the impression roller-may yield when a thicker or heavier letter is going throughthe machine.

For this purpose the bar 41 is shouldered at 44 where it is borne upon by a comparatively stiff spring 45 arranged within the barrel-42 and resting at its rear end upon the end 46 of thebarrel. The spring is sufficiently stiff to cause the bar 41 and the platen or impression roller connected therewith to be moved forward asone body when the barrel or plunger is moved forward by the vibrator and locking-key 28, but when extra thick letters are going through the spring 45 will yield and allow the bar 41 to lag behind the plunger or barrel sufficiently -.to accommodate this extra thickness of the letters. The bar 41 may be adjusted to set the impression roller or platen accurately in position by the'nuts 47 on the threaded rear end of the bar.

It will be understood that the vibratoris timed to advance the shoulder 34 in a certain relation to the arrival of the marking devices of the (lie at the printing point, and as' the die carrier or rotary head has two sets of marking devices disposed thereon the Vibrator makes two complete oscillations to each revo' lution of the marking die-carrier. Should a letter arrive at the registeringstop arm 32 at.

, an improper time it will be held eitherby the said stop arm or by a supplemental guard or stop 48 arranged adjacent to butin a lowerplane than the registering sto arm 32.-

Fig. 3 illustrates the arriva of aletter at the registering stop at an improper time, that is for instance after the shoulder 34 ofthe vibrator has advanced in the arrow direct ion beyond the point at which itmight engage the end of the registering stop arm. 33. At this time it will be noticed that the end of said arm 33 bears upon the plain periphery of the vibrator which thus holds the registering stop against movement and with its end .sion r01 maintained across the path of'the' letter to hold the sameuntil such time as the vibrator moves back and picks up the registering stop or locking-key on its next forward movement, which will thus act to make the registering stop get in time with the marking roller and cause the letter to be registered with the marking devices and causing also the impreser to be advanced at the proper mo-. ment. The other contingency that must be guarded against is when a letter arrives and contacts with the main registering stop 32 when the vibrator is on its backward stroke opposite to the direction indicated by the arrow, or when the vibrator is beginning its forward movement and has not yet arrived with its shoulder to the point of contact with the locking-key. The registering stop would be pressed aside freely towards the right when connection with a gate. 49 to hold the letter and prevent it from unduly acting a ainst the registering stop or locking key an slipping past the same until said locking-key is engaged by and under the control of the shoulder on the vibrator.

position shown in Fig. 1 where it is in contact with the gate 49 to the position shown in Fig. 2 in dotted lines, where it is swung back to allow the letter topass by the marking de- This supplemental stop or guard is oscillated from the' vices and the registering stop. The opening of the guard or su plementalxstop 48 to 'tlie 1 position shown in otted lines in Fig. 2 is but momentary as it returns quickly to the position shown in full lines in said figure, the effeet of which is to push the letter off from engagement with the hook end 32 of the ar 32 on which it might hang.

The gate 49 is yieldingly held so thatit will recede under the pressure of the letters and more or less according to their thickness.

' Thegate is pivoted at 50 to a bracket 51 and it is pressed-by a sprin 52 so that its free end is yieldingly pressed away from the periphery of the die head. Its position is limited by a stop screw 53. The gate is shouldered at 54 and when the parts are in position to arrest the free passage of a letter in order to register itwith the marking devices the end of the supplemental stop or guard reaches around thecorner of said shoulder and bears upon its face. The spring gate is also'recessed at 55 to receive the end of the letter registering stop arm 32. This gate 00 acts with both the letter registering stop arm. 32 and the supplemental guard 48 to prevent the letters slipping by the ends of said parts i as it confines the letters closely by contact with their sides as shown in Fig. 3. After passing the marking die and impression roller 1 or platen the letters pass between the de livery rolls 56 and thence to a stacking device 57 carried bythe shaft 58, said stacker having a scroll formation as shown in Fig. 1 and having an abrupt drop or shoulder 59. This scroll shaped stacker operates through afence or shield 60 and the letters arriving from the delivery rolls strike the periphery thereof &

and are pressed laterally and stacked against the plate 61 which is carried by or supported upon the block 62 supported on the table or chute 63 and which late is mjovable'along the said chute as the quantity of letters stacked thereagainst increases.- The ends of the letters after passing by the stacker strike against the fence or wall 64 extending at an inclination over the table or chute and-adjustablyheld by the slotted bracket and set --screw' 65 -66.

The stacker is composed. of a number of sections or scrolls Fi 6 like that shown in l stacker al their forward edges close to the center of the 'lan in Fig. 1 carrie by the said shaft 58. he; abrupt shoulder or drop 59 on the ows the letters to contact with rotary stacker and immediately the said letters are operated upon and pressed laterally by the' scroll portion of the stacker.

,A supplemental stackeris arranged at 70 having a series of rounded projecting por- -leadin to an-eccentric 72 on the main shaft.

73 of t e machine. These connections consist of the rotary shaft or pin 74 formed in one piece with the vibrator head 35, the

lower end of the said shaftbearing in a bracket or frame part 75 and havin an arm or block 76 clamped thereto by the olts 77,

- the said arm being connected by a right angular link 78 with the rod 79 of an eccentri'c strap 80 whichis operated by the eccentric 72011 the main shaft 73 above mentioned. This eccentric rod has a yielding connection,

with the eccentric stra for which purpose the said strap islforme with a hollow boss or barrel '81 receiving the enlar ed head 82 of .the eccentric rod against whic a spring 83 bears at one end, the other end of said spring .bearingupon acap 84 screwed on to the boss 81. Through these connections the vibrator i'is'oscillated so as to advance the shoulder 34 for the 1purpose of advancing the impression -roll at t 'diecarrier or.marking head comes around e moment the marking device on the into marking position. The yielding connection-is provided in order to hold the vibrator with its shoulder in advanced position and withvthe impression roller up to its work for a sufficientlength of time to enable the marking. device to make the impression on the.

letter it being noticed that the markingdevices. consisting of the ribs and the die associated therewith occupy a considerable ortion of the circumference of the mar ring head and itis therefore necessary to hold the main shaft.

the main shaft.

impression rbller forward for the length of time occupied in. the passage of the ribs and the die past the printing point and therefore the parts are so arranged that beforethc high part of the cam or eccentric arrives in line with the axis of the eccentric rod the shoul-f der 34' will have advanced sufficiently to move the impression roller up to its work and this position will be maintained. during the passage of the high part of the cam by the axis'of the eccentric rod and for an appre ciable time after the said high part passes by the said axial line by reason of the employment of the spring 83 which allows the ec centric connection to yield under the greater pressure resulting from the high part of the cam passing the axial, line without doing damage or straining in any way the vibrator and the parts associated therewith.

The supplemental guard or registering stop 48 is connected with a sleeve 85 arranged to turn about the shaft or pin 74 and having an arm 86 extendin later-all from which depends a pin or re 87, the ower end of which I as an opening 88 receiving an eccentric rod 89 of an eccentric 90 which is'also on the Fig. 1 to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, immediately following which the shoulder 90 moves back and away from the pin of rod 87 and a spring 92 acting on the arm 86 immediately returns the supplemental guard or stop finger towards its'normal position with the effects above described.

The main shaft 73 is driven in any suitable manner such as by a belt 93 and a pulley 94 and from this main shaft the shaft of the impression roller is driven through gearing 95, 96, as shown in Fig. 7 .The friction feed wheel is drivenby a gear-97 on its shaft 98, said gear being driven from a gear 99 on the The feed roll 22 is driven by a gear 100 on its shaft meshing with thegear 101 on the main shaft. The feeding wheel 3 is driven from the shaft 98 of the friction feed wheel through the belt 102 and thep'ulleys 103, 104. In driving the delivery w eel 56 the gear 105 is loosely mounted on-its shaft 106, said gear meshing with the-gear'107 on The delivery rolls or Wheels There is another gear 108 to drive the stacking device I provide a gear 112 on its shaft 113, said gear meshing with a.

' gear 114 on the shaft or pin'115 and meshing 'with'the gear 108. "The supplemental de- .vice 70 is operated. through abelt 1'16 and pulleys 117, 118.

' The clutch 109 iS ope y fink 11-9.

' c onnected with a vertically movable rod 120,

having at its upper end a handle 121 adapted to raise and lower the said rod with the fork to'shift the clutch. "The handle is provided with a boss 122 having a pin depending'there from, marked 123,'which in one position of the handle is adapted to rest on the stand- 124- and support the clutch rod in an elevated position, whereas when the handle is turned to bring the pin123 to anopening 125 in the said'sta'ndthe pin'dropping intosaid opening f will allow the clutch'rod-to drop and shift the clutch from the upper gear to the lower gear,

, it being understood that the handle 121 may turn on the clutch rod inorder to secure the above actions. The purpose of this change speed is to cause long letters to be 1 drawn .more rapidly than the shorter'letters thus preventing *a second'p'rinting 'or -marking action thereon at'the rearend of. the said away from the marking or printing members long letter. This' change of speed affects it willbe noticed onlythe-delivery rolls. 1 One of these delivery rolls is -pressed by'a spring against theotherJ 3 Its shaft is pivoted at'the lower end at 126 while at its upper end'said shaft is journaled in a box 127 Fig. 1, connected with a stern *128 extending into a casing or box 129; on the under side of the bed,"said stem being pressed by a spring 130 within said casing. When the speed is changed as above-to suit long letters the stacker must also beadjusted so that its action will be in proper time with the arrival i of the letter thereat. It will be understood that the stacker is timed in its movement so that as the letter is delivered from the rollers 56 and its frontend arrives at the stacker, the abrupt shoulder or drop will be presented to the letter while the other letters which were previously fed have been pushed or stacked-laterally and are being borne upon by the high part of the stacker leaving thus a wide space between the stacked letters and the fence for the reception of the next 'ering its periphery is the flanges 143 which'are screwed to the 'with the said sleeve.

driven through a gear 151 loose on the main 0 shaft but connected to the'lower eccentric im be raised slightly by the handle 13o,

fixed on the same, to disengage the pin 131 of saidc'ollar from the hole 132 in the stacker,

fter {which the stacker maybe turned to -bring another hole-133 below the pin 131 whereupon the collar maybe dropped and the j fsaid pin will then connect with the stacker in the'n'e w position to which it'h'as been adjusted-for long letters. The 'collar'is splined to the shaft and a spring '130"-presses it down,

said spring bearing against a nut 130? screwed onto the shaft. '1

Referring now to certain details of construction: A guide strip 134 extends-along the pathway of the letters, which guides them'from the feed rolls to the marking members and thence to the delivery rolls.

A spring guide 135 is also used for this purpose'and a guide 136 for a similar purpose is'attaehed to the bracket 51 and extends sion roller after being advanced is retracted bythe spring 138, dotted lines Fig. -1, 'attached below the-table and connected by a link 139 to a block 37, Fig. 5, in which the shaftof the impression roller bears} This .boX extends up into the slideway or opening in the table top which'permits the said. im-

pression roll to move towards and from the die carrier or rotary head. The forward 'movement of the im ression'roller is limited to suit the thinnest etters by a stop collar 142 on 'the'sliding barrel 42' striking against the rear end of the'housing. "The return movement of the-locking key or letter registering stop is limited fixed housing 31. 4

The-inking roller 27 is of special construction represented in Fi 5. The fabric coveld in'place between block 144. This block isfaced peripherallywith rubber 145 upon which t felt periphery bears. The rubbersurface prevents the fabric from creeping or piling"- up atany one point. This inking roller may be set towards or from the die'and canceling rib carrier for which purpose its pin 145 extends up through an opening 146 in the table top and it is carried by a lever 147 pivoted at'148 to theflbottom of the table by a stop 141:0nthe! e, fabric or and pressed by a spring 149. An adjustable stop limits the position of the said ink ing roller towards the marking head or printing roller 23. r

Referring now to the eccentrics for driv ing the vibrator and the supplemental guard or stop finger it will be seen from Fig. 6 that these eccentrics are connected by a sleeve' 149 .loose'on the main shaft, the eccentric 90 being attached to said sleeve by a screw 1-5'0 while the eccentrics 72 is formed in one piece These eccentrics are 85 over one of the delivery rolls. .The impres- 72 by the screw 152. This gear meshes with a gear 153 turning on a pin 154 of a the yielding bearing pointor b ock 34 at the shoulder 34 of the vibrator.

This block-is guided to r'ecede within'the head and thus aiford a ielding bearing should the point of theshou der 34 meet the end of the arm 33 at such an angle to jam or damage the parts. This block 34' projects slightly at the point of the shoulder and will yield and prevent damage to the arts under. certain conditions. The, bloc is pressed by' a spring 34 and it is limited in its outwardmovement by a a pin 34 passing through the head 35 and a slot 34* in the block. I claim as my inventio'n i 1. In a machine of theclass described the platen, a marking head, animpres'sfionroller,

a combined letter-registering-stop and lock-- ing-key and an oscillating vibrator sup ported independently of the movable support of the )laten and arranged to engage the locking.- ey for advancing the .impres sion-roller, substantiall 'as described:

2. In a machineoft e class described, amarking head, an. impression roller, a com-.

bined letter-registring-stop and looking-key, and an oscillating vibrator su ported to one side and independently of t e impression rollerand having locking-key, said ocking'key bearing against two sets of 'jmarking devices.

a shoulder to engage-the the plain periphery of thevibrator when pressed by a letter. at an improper time, substantially as described.

3. In combination with the marking head,'

an impression roller, a combined letter-reg- 'istering-stopjandlocking-key supported on a pivot independently of the mova le support of the platen or im ression roller, and an oscillating .vibrator a so su ported independently of the saidjmovab e support of the platen, said locking key having movement to and from the path of thevibrator substantially as described. v

4. 'In combination with the marking head, an impression roller or'platen, a combined. letter-regi'stering-stopand locking-key, an oscillating vibrator-for operating the lockingkey, and a yielding bearing portion carried by the said vibrator, substantially as de scribed.

5. In combination, the marking head, a

platen, the locking-key operated by a letter, I

an oscillating vibrator to operate the locking- .key to. move the laten, and means-for driving the marking ead and vibrator in a one to two relation, said markinghead carrying 6. In combination, the-marking head, a laten, a 'letter-registering-stop and locking ey combined, anoscillating-vibrator"having a shoulder to operate the locking-key, a su plemental stop and a sleeve carrying t e same and arranged vconcentric with the axis of the vibrator,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presenc'eof two witnesses.

Witnesses:

CHASrM. ARMES.

G. A. MooMAw.

SAMUEL J. EVANS 

